Negligence is often rooted in apathy. Sometimes, inadvertent apathy, as in my case, where I had every expectation of meeting my deadline. But the week in which it appeared was somehow fraught, and the responsibility at hand received insufficient attention. Hence, apathy. Leading to negligence.
How can negligence be a matter of choice? That is, unless there is a conscious, active decision to ignore a responsibility. Negligence is rarely a matter of choice. But therein lies the "bad choice." The bad choice of not paying attention.
Bad choices began in Eden. And while the snake acted out of spite (he's called "tricky," or "subtle," or "crafty," depending on your translation), and Eve responded to temptation (she suddenly saw that the fruit looked quite appealing: "good to eat, and pleasing to the eye"), Adam was guilty of negligence. He simply stopped paying attention. That is, Eve gave Adam the fruit, and he ate it. Done. He ate it. What, did he forget?!? God had given him very explicit instructions about not eating that particular fruit. To think that he didn't realize what he was doing...well, anyone can make that kind of mistake. Just wasn't paying attention. We've all made errors like that... But his absence of awareness was rather costly.
I'm hoping my own negligence yields no more lasting ramifications than my own mortification. Which, if I didn't mention it here, you wouldn't even know about. Though perhaps, if nothing else, by articulating our inattentions, we bring them to our attention, and combat the lazy inclination to be distracted from tasks that await our gaze.
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